When Evia’s best friend Frankie—who has facial hair because she has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—becomes the target of school bullies, Evia decides to create the Hairy Girl’s Club in support and solidarity for her friend. The goal of this feminist club is to educate everyone that girls, like boys, grow hair everywhere and that the world, or at least her school, would be a better place if everyone stopped judging. Love Is in the Hair, Gemma Cary’s debut adult novel, skillfully transports the reader into experiencing high school social dynamics with both horror and humor while challenging the reader to think about what is considered normal and beautiful when it comes to body hair.
The Hairy Girl’s Club begins as an anonymous Instagram account where Evia posts a photo of her hairy forearm along with lots of hashtags such as #bodypositivity and #femalebodyhair. Overnight her posting gains many followers, including other women who are struggling with body hair issues. Inspired by this outpouring, Evia decides to take the Hairy Girl’s Club to school and arrives wearing a mustache. After convincing the principal that she knows her stuff, permission is given for her initiative to move forward. But leading a feminist movement at school is not easy.
Boys mock her, her best friend gets mad at her, and the popular “smooth-a-licious” girls start their own campaign in retaliation. As Evia leads her movement with the ups and downs that goes along with it, you can’t help but route for her and her message. As someone who has PCOS, reading this book made me wish it was around when I was growing up. Having allies like Evia and the members of the Hairy Girl’s Club would have made my life feel less isolating. This book is charming, educational, and makes you want to shout out against the hair-removal industry and love your body hair.
Image Via Delacorte Press
